


Who to follow?

by Bl4ckHunter



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Not for fans of John Diggle, Other, leadership issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-16
Updated: 2019-10-16
Packaged: 2020-12-17 16:56:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21057824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bl4ckHunter/pseuds/Bl4ckHunter
Summary: One-shot story. Laurel and Thea have enough of Diggle's spite towards Oliver. Not for fans of John Diggle.





	Who to follow?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Aragorn_II_Elessar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aragorn_II_Elessar/gifts), [Stand_with_Ward_and_Queen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stand_with_Ward_and_Queen/gifts), [Phillipe363](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phillipe363/gifts).

> Something that occured to me after re-watching Season 6 for research purposes, watching Season 8 premiere of Arrow and re-reading Stand's "The fate of the Green Arrow", which I have kept downloaded after it had been taken down from FF and AO3, alongside with "Like old times".
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

"We don't need his help. We can handle it." Diggle said as they were in the lair.

"They have military-grade weapons and they have us outnumbered. I'd say we're in over our heads." Laurel pointed out.

"We should call Ollie." Laurel said and Diggle snorted.

"As if I'd trust someone who kidnapped my wife and left my daughter unsupervised. For all you know, the next thing we know, he's gonna join the Ghosts and put an arrow in us because deep down, he's just as dark as Ra's and Merlyn." Diggle sneered and the next thing he knew, Laurel sent a right hook to his jaw and as Diggle held his face, the phrase 'if looks could kill' came to mind as he met Laurel's and Thea's fierce glares.

"Before you start judging Ollie, you should remember that he has saved us countless of times before. And you of all people should know what he was about, don't tell me you never did anything you didn't want to that hurt the people you cared about, when you were in the army or made a mistake, for which they paid the price." Laurel said.

"You know, we joined you, mainly because we thought we could do this without Ollie, since he decided to retire. But we're getting in over our heads." Thea added.

"Look, I get that you're mad that he kidnapped Lyla and left your daughter alone, I would've been too, if he had kidnapped my Dad but Oliver did what he thought he had to in order to stop Ra's and I would've understood that." Laurel pointed out, her voice calm and leveled, yet very dangerously angry. "Besides, if anything, you yourself have sometimes made calls that Ollie never would've and we got ourselves in over our heads because of you. And hasn't it occur to you that if it hadn't been Ollie, who took Lyla, it would've been someone else and that they'd kill your wife instead and took your daughter as a hostage?" She added as Diggle paled. "I myself have a pretty good idea by now how the League works and you of all people should know that Ollie was trying to make the best out of a bad situation, even if it meant hurting us."

"Laurel-"

"No, John. If you can't get over your petty grudge against Ollie and look at the bigger picture or if you are incapable of seeing beyond your own ego, then I don't see what's the point of following you." Laurel sneered.

"You know what? We're done. I don't know what's the point of listening to you, if you can't stop hating my brother so much, even when it's been months and you still haven't pulled your head out of your ass." Thea said as she slammed her bow onto the desk and Laurel the same with her nightstick as they left.

"We quit, John. Have fun trying to take down the Ghosts alone." Laurel's voice echoed throughout the lair as Diggle sat down, trying to process what just happened as he reflected on his past actions.

**Author's Note:**

> Diggle as a soldier, should understand at first glance, that Oliver was just trying to make the best out of a bad situation and only did what was necessary, when he kidnapped Lyla and left Baby Sara unsupervised. He had right to be angry at first but him accusing Oliver of being as dark as Malcolm and the League and that he wasn't able to get over his grudge for months, just showed that he stopped being Oliver's close friend from Seasons 1-2.
> 
> In Season 8, he again became Oliver's friend and guide, which I liked but frankly, the reasons for not liking Diggle had been piling up since Seasons 3-7, with Diggle being angry at Oliver for kidnapping Lyla without letting go of his grudge for six months, the blind spot with Andy, which got Laurel killed and him keeping H.I.V.E. hiring Lawton to kill Andy a secret, judging Lyla for locking up Cayden James, when he himself had done the same thing with Slade Wilson and Digger Harkness, him arguing with Oliver about being the leader and the Green Arrow, when Diggle himself would've chosen the life of a mass murderer over millions of innocents or him forcing Lyla to reinstate Suicide Squad 2.0, a.k.a. the Ghost Initiative, when he judged Lyla for being a part of the Suicide Squad.
> 
> And I have to wonder, how can Laurel, Thea and Lyla have patience with Diggle's attitude and him having a stick up his ass, when Diggle had his snippy comments about Oliver in 4x01. Plus, it's been shown in Season 6 that Diggle sucks as a leader.
> 
> If I come off as hating Diggle, well, I hate how he was in the last third of Season 3, the whole Season 4, 5x19-20, the whole Season 6 and the first half of Season 7.
> 
> So, what do you guys think?
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have enjoyed this one-shot.
> 
> With regards
> 
> Bl4ckHunter


End file.
